What Cary Academy does

Cary Academy is a nonprofit private independent school founded in 1996 and located on a 65-66 acre campus in Cary, North Carolina, between Raleigh and Durham. It serves students in grades 6-12 across two academic divisions: Middle School (grades 6-8) and Upper School (grades 9-12), employing 251 staff and faculty. The school generates the majority of its revenue from tuition paid by enrolled families on an annual subscription basis, supplemented by a limited facility rental stream (theater, classrooms, athletic fields, gymnasiums) and annual giving through its Development office. Tuition amounts and enrollment are not publicly disclosed, and a financial assistance program is offered to qualifying families.

The school's product portfolio combines standard academic programming with a set of signature experiential programs, including X-Day, Discovery Term, Work Experience Program (WEP), and Flex Day, all coordinated through the Center for Community Engagement which also houses service learning, entrepreneurship, and DEI initiatives. Specialized facilities include a 22,000-square-foot Center for Math and Science (opened 2019), a renovated library (2020), a 500-seat theater and black-box theater, makerspaces with 3D printers, a video production studio, and Olympic-quality athletics facilities. Technology infrastructure is built on commodity platforms (Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Blackbaud student information system) with no proprietary AI/ML products; the school has been recognized by NC State University as a Data Science and AI Academy School of Distinction for integrating data science across disciplines.

Distribution is direct-to-family through the school's admissions process managed by the Director of Enrollment Management, supported by inquiry-driven website, admission events, and campus tours. The school markets through its website, news stories, alumni publications, and strategic plan updates. Leadership is provided by Head of School Dr. Michael Ehrhardt (since 2013), CFO Dania Duarte (joined May 2026), and a Board of Directors chaired by Trude Bate. Recent strategic emphasis has been placed on the Strategic Plan 2025-2030, AI/data science curriculum integration, and operational leadership renewal across finance, campus operations, and academic divisions.

Name

Cary Academy

Legal name

Cary Academy

Website

https://caryacademy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Cary Academy is a nonprofit private independent school in Cary, North Carolina serving grades 6-12 across two academic divisions, generating tuition-based revenue and offering signature experiential programs, college counseling, and specialized STEM/arts facilities on a 65-acre campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonsectarian Independent Day Schools (EDAJABAA)

Keywords

• Private school education
• Secondary education
• College preparatory
• Experiential learning programs
• Enrollment management services

Headquarters

HQ city

Cary

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition: Primary revenue source is tuition paid by families for their students to attend the private independent school. The school also offers financial assistance programs.
2. Facility Rental: The school generates supplemental revenue by renting out campus facilities including theaters, classrooms, athletic fields, and gymnasiums to external groups on a limited basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cary Academy is a private, independent, nonprofit school providing college-preparatory education to students in grades 6 through 12 on a 65-acre campus in Cary, NC. The school delivers Middle School and Upper School academic programs enriched by signature experiential offerings such as X-Day, Discovery Term, the Work Experience Program (WEP), and Flex Day, with the Center for Community Engagement coordinating service learning, entrepreneurship, and equity programming across divisions.

Product overview

Cary Academy is a private independent school offering a unified educational program spanning grades 6-12. The school's portfolio consists of two main academic divisions (Middle School and Upper School) supplemented by signature experiential programs including X-Day, Discovery Term, Work Experience Program (WEP), and Flex Day. The Center for Community Engagement serves as an organizational hub coordinating service learning, entrepreneurship, and experiential education across all grade levels. Additional program divisions include The Arts and Athletics, all built upon a 65-acre campus featuring specialized facilities including a Center for Math and Science, video production facility, makerspace, 500-seat theater, and athletics complex.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Middle School Program Grades 6-8 educational program organized by grade level with access to recreation facilities, departments, and signature programs designed for adolescent learners, including recreational facilities and full-time school nurse support.
• Upper School Program Grades 9-12 academic program featuring flexible classroom spaces, a student collaboration lounge, college counseling suite, and home to the Center for Community Engagement, including college counseling and preparation for college and career success.
• Center for Community Engagement Organizational hub coordinating cross-divisional work in experiential learning, service learning, entrepreneurship and leadership, and diversity, equity, and inclusivity initiatives for students across both divisions.
• Discovery Term Intensive two-week experiential learning period at the end of the school year where students explore topics through hands-on projects, field trips, workshops, and real-world applications across diverse subjects.
• Work Experience Program (WEP) Signature program allowing Upper School students to gain real-world professional experience through internships and job shadowing with local businesses, organizations, and professionals in the community.
• X-Day Signature experiential learning day at Cary Academy featuring hands-on, interdisciplinary activities where students engage in creative projects, experiments, and collaborative challenges outside the traditional classroom structure.
• Flex Day Flexible programming day supporting experiential learning activities that take students out of the traditional classroom and into immersive, hands-on experiences.
• The Arts Program Comprehensive arts education including visual arts, music, theater, and multimedia production facilities such as a 500-seat theater, black-box theater, and multimedia Discovery Studio.
• Athletics Program Middle School and Upper School sports teams featuring Olympic-quality track facilities, multiple athletic fields, tennis courts, and fitness center with strength and conditioning suite.

Quantifiable outcome

• Class of 2026 accepted to 58 colleges in 20 states including Ivy League institutions
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Meals on WheelsminorOthersService learning partnership where students write cards for food-insecure elders connected with the organization.
• Curamericas GlobalcoreOthersRaleigh-based organization working to ensure women and children have access to healthcare. Students led initiatives including packing 1,000 PPE kits for La Semilla Latinx faith community in Durham.
• Oak City CaresminorOthersLocal organization where students cook and serve meals for guests.
• Note in the PocketminorOthersOrganization serving Wake County Public Schools where students sort clothing for distribution to peers in need.
• Transplanting TraditionsminorOthersCommunity partner for the CA Asian vegetable CSA where students design informational brochures spotlighting local Burmese farmers.
• NC State UniversitycoreOthersRecognized Cary Academy as a Data Science and AI Academy School of Distinction for innovative interdisciplinary data science integration.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Charlotte Country Day School: Independent nonsectarian day school in Charlotte, NC serving grades JK-12. Among the larger and more established North Carolina independent schools with a similar college-prep and signature-program structure.
• Ravenscroft School: Independent day school in Raleigh, NC serving grades PK-12. Direct competitor in the same Cary/Raleigh submarket with similar academic program breadth, athletics, arts, and college-prep positioning. Competes head-to-head for Cary-area families.
• The Madeira School: Independent day/boarding school in McLean, VA, where Cary Academy's Director of Enrollment Management previously served in multiple roles. Comparable signature experiential and college-prep structure in the Mid-Atlantic market.
• Saint Mary's School: Independent girls' school in Raleigh, NC. While single-sex, it competes for the same Research Triangle families at the upper school level and shares an overlapping leadership talent pool (Cary Academy's Head of Middle School previously served as Associate Head/Dean at Saint Mary's).
• Durham Academy: Private independent day school located in Durham, NC, serving grades K-12. Closest geographic peer in the Research Triangle with a similar nonsectarian college-prep mission, comparable tuition tier, and overlapping feeder demographics competing for the same pool of Triangle families.
• Miss Porter's School: Boarding/day independent school in Farmington, CT, where Cary Academy's Director of Technology & Innovation previously served. Comparable signature experiential and college-prep program structure; Cary Academy's administrative talent pipeline overlaps with Porter's.
• Greensboro Day School: Independent nonsectarian day school in Greensboro, NC serving grades PK-12. Comparable in mission, size, and program breadth to Cary Academy, drawing from a similar North Carolina independent-school demographic but in a different regional market.
• Norfolk Academy: Independent day school in Norfolk, VA serving grades 1-12. Established college-prep peer with comparable size, signature-program structure, and tuition tier.

Regional players

• North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics: Public residential STEM school in Durham, NC. While state-funded and selective rather than tuition-based, it competes for top-tier Triangle STEM-oriented students at the upper school level, particularly those drawn to Cary Academy's NC State-recognized data science program.
• Cary Christian School: Private Christian day school located in Cary, NC serving grades K-12. Competes locally in the same Cary feeder market, though differentiated by religious mission and tuition tier.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/cary-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cary Academy